As a student, you have to work on balancing classes, studying, and maintaining some semblance of a social life. As a budding entrepreneur, you need to work out some way to spend time with the people you love in addition to your blossoming business. Because of all the pressure, you may feel like you’re losing productivity during the day. If you’re looking for ways to boost your productivity, you may think you need tons of coffee. But exercise can do wonders for virtually all aspects of your life.

When you exercise, your heart rate increases. More blood flows to your brain, bringing oxygen. More oxygen increases brain function. And that’s just the beginning. You might be surprised at some of the ways exercise equals success!

Exercise Helps You Focus

Once you exercise, you’re freeing up space in your brain and releasing what was once there, whether it’s a bad thing that happened at work or something else. Clearing your mind helps you focus better because there aren’t so many things bopping around in your head that may otherwise distract you.

Exercise Improves Mood

When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins. Endorphins are one of the hormones that make you happy. Because your brain is releasing more endorphins, you’ll be in a better mood, thus improving your productivity, the amount of work you’re outputting. As a bonus, when you’re in a better mood, the people around you will be in a better mood.

Exercise Increases Discipline

When you first start to exercise, it may feel like a chore. As you begin to implement a workout regiment, you develop a habit. By establishing that habit when it comes to your physical health, you can also put that discipline to what you’re doing while working.

Exercise Boosts Your Creativity

As your focus and discipline on the job become sharper, so does your creativity. Because exercise allows for more oxygen to get to your brain, you’re going to be able to think outside the box on tasks you’re assigned.

Exercise Prevents Mid-Morning and Mid-Afternoon Crashes

Hitting the before-lunch wall and the mid-afternoon slump kills your productivity. If you exercised regularly, it would cut down on those slumps and keep you moving on all the tasks that need your attention.

Exercise Gives You a Sense of Urgency

Do you find that when tasks are due farther in the future, you’re less likely to work on them right away? Conversely, if a due date is quickly approaching, do you find you’re hurrying to finish the task and not putting in the right amount of effort? Turns out, regularly exercising can help you better determine when to work on assignments. If you made plans to work out with someone right at the end of the day, you’d divide your time better to get out of work when you initially planned.

Exercise Improves Your Sleep

Having a lousy night’s sleep negatively affects your performance the next day. But when you get a good workout in, your body will need all the rest time it can get, allowing you to have a full night of sleep. Next time you’re dealing with a bout of insomnia, consider doing a small workout.

If you feel your mind wander throughout the day, or you can’t seem to get through some tasks, consider taking a step back and doing some exercises. Even if you’re unable to leave your desk, Tiny Pulse has a list and videos of desk exercises. You can boost productivity and get a workout in at the same time.